Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Friday 05 November
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
“Lyrics don’t mean anything! Like ‘Rama-lama-ding-dong’ or ‘Give Peace a Chance’!” Homer Simpson
The Edsels released, “Rama Lama Ding Dong” in 1958 which became a national hit, but surely not because of the lyrics. Would Bach have been better with words? What would Gilbert be without Sullivan or Rodgers without Hammerstein? And what comes first, the music or the lyrics? On November 5th, the Australian Poetry Centre has decided the music comes first, with a competition called What Comes First, offering poets and wordsmiths all over Australia the chance to write the lyrics for a new hit single! The music has been written by established composer/music producer, James Roche.
The AP’s What Comes First? competition, which offered poets and wordsmiths all over Australia the chance to write the lyrics for a new hit single, will culminate with short-listed applicants performing their lyrics to music composed by James Roche hoping their words will be the perfect fit for the song. The winner will be announced on the night.
This event is in partnership with the Australian Poetry.
Featuring
James Roche
James Roche is an award-winning music producer, songwriter and composer.
Highly accomplished audio engineer, expert in computer-based music systems for recording, mixing and sound design. He has experienced hit-song chart success as an artist with Bachelor Girl and has many years of live concert performances behind him.
Deborah Conway
Deborah Conway is a singer/songwriter who shot to fame as the lead singer of Do Re Mi.
She is a significant and eloquent contributor to Australian music, singing songs that chronicle the essential elements of life, love, loss, memory, the mundane and the spiritual for the past 30 years. As lead singer for Do Re Mi her voice was first heard by many on the single 'Man Overboard'.
She’s gone on to sing on The Iron Man by Pete Townsend, alongside Nina Simone and John Lee Hooker, and acting and singing in Peter Greenaway’s film Prospero’s Books. In 1991 she released her debut solo album, String of Pearls, which won her the Best Female ARIA award that year. She has continued to write and record. In May 2010, Conway and partner Willy Zygier launched their ninth studio album, Half Man Half Woman, recorded in Melbourne with producer James Black. Conway and Zygier have just released a new album, Everybody’s Begging, and have been touring the album to sold-out concert halls along the east coast.
Ben Birchall
Ben Birchall is a writer, broadcaster and creative director who has worked in radio, advertising and digital publishing. He hosted 3RRR FM’s Breakfasters from 2009-2012 and is currently the host of Ingredipedia – a factual food fight podcast that consistently tops the iTunes Australia food charts. His writing has appeared in the Age, Smith Journal and Frankie and his advertising work for clients like NAB, Mars, CUB and the Wheeler Centre has won awards internationally.
Eliza Hull
Eliza Hull is an award-winning musician, writer and disability advocate. Eliza is a disabled woman, with a physical disability ‘Charcot Marie Tooth.’
Eliza is the editor and creator of the book We’ve Got This: Stories by Disabled Parents. She has been a guest on The Today Show, The Drum, ABC News Breakfast, ABC’S Q&A and is on ABC Radio regularly. She recently presented 'Stir it up' on Double J. She is a contributor in Growing Up Disabled in Australia and has a children’s book titled Come Over to My House co-written with children’s author Sally Rippin.
Eliza Hull has spoken at the Human Rights Convention ‘Free and Equal’, for the NDIS, DARU, Brunswick Music Festival, The Wheeler Centre and the Changes Music Conference.
Recently Eliza was awarded the Music Victoria ‘Amplify’ award, the APRA mentorship and the National Leadership Award from the Australia Council and Arts Access Australia.
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